Florida Governor May Financially Benefit From Planned State Medicaid Overhaul

Most governors attempt to step away from potential conflicts of interest, avoiding mixing the health of the state with their own financial well-being. But Florida’s Governor Rick Scott appears to be wallowing knee deep in it instead.

Republican governor Rick Scott’s push to privatize Medicaid in Florida is highly controversial—not least because the health care business Scott handed over to his wife when he took office could reap a major profit if the legislation becomes law.

Scott and Florida Republicans are currently trying to enact a sweeping Medicaid reform bill that would give HMOs and other private health care companies unprecedented control over the government health care program for the poor. Among the companies that stand to benefit from the bill is Solantic, a chain of urgent-care clinics aimed at providing emergency services to walk-in customers. The Florida governor founded Solantic in 2001, only a few years after he resigned as the CEO of hospital giant Columbia/HCA amid a massive Medicare fraud scandal. In January, he transferred his $62 million stake in Solantic to his wife, Ann Scott, a homemaker involved in various charitable organizations.

Think it’s just a coincidence that Scott is pushing reform that would financially benefit his own household? Mother Jones points out that it’s not just in this bill that the Scotts could cash in, but in the governor’s mandates for drug testing, too.

With Scott’s blessing, the Florida statehouse is currently hammering out the final details of the Medicaid bill, with a vote expected in the upcoming weeks. In the meantime, Scott has moved forward on another front that could also bring new business to Solantic. On Tuesday, he signed an executive order requiring random drug testing of many state employees and applicants for state jobs. He’s also urged state legislators to pass a similar bill that would require drug testing of poor Floridians applying for welfare.

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55 comments

He "MAY" benefit? He and his wife own the largest healthcare company in the state, so of course he is going to benefit. The SOB needs to be impeached for misuse of his office and he should be held financially accountable to the state for every decision he has made in office that works toward using his office to help his financial goals and those of his corporate sponsors.

It sounds like FL residents have some work to do. Expose him, investigate him, RECALL him. Start a petition and get him removed. Then have him prosecuted and jailed. As the Bush & Chaney families are heavily invested in prisons, they need the customers. Do not give in, FIGHT back. Is it his state or yours??? Wisconsin got rid of a few corrupt/inept Reps. Come on FL step it up a notch. Get rid of him & his wife!!

Gov. Medikrook was a partner with dubya in the Texas Rangers, do we need to know more??? Erica Bastow, there was a river of tears when Medikrook 'defeated' Sink. Medikrook had no substantial experience to run. Criminal Floriduh has no recall!

Yes Erica, I know that Scott's campaign was as nasty as they come. I'm still wondering how he got to be governor. I really wish that Alex Sink would have demanded a recall. Scott may not have paid her off, but there has to be a reason she didn't demand a recall with the difference in votes being less than 1%. What if all the absentee ballots hadn't been counted? We could have someone as our Governor who actually cares about the people of Florida instead of their rich friends.

He doesn't want to reduce our dependence on oil. He's got rich friends in big oil & doesn't want to take any money out of their wallets. Isn't it amazing how a man whose campaign slogan was "Let's get to work" is doing his best to deep people here unemployed & at the same time reduce their unemployment compensation.

He has screwed over the public employees & teachers in this state big time. Teachers in my county haven't even had a cost of living raise in 4 years, but the cost of their health insurance keeps going up. Now, he's tying their pay to student scores on the FCAT. Isn't that just ducky? I've had it with the idiot politicians in this state.

You're right, he is going to destroy this state before we can vote him out. Isn't Solantic still under investigation? Maybe someone will actually prove he did something wrong & he'll be forced out of office. We can have a new election & elect Alex Sink.

Kim J: I don't think Alex Sink was bought off...the election was emotionally draining for her, as Scott's campaign was extremely nasty...I think she just decided to be "the lady" that she is and bow out gracefully.

Scott is going to ruin this state's education system and it's economic base. He turned down the 2 million dollar gov't subsidy so we can get light rail! It would create jobs, reduce oil consumption, and reduce auto emissions...all good things...which is why he turned the money down. Scott is an ass and he is screwing us up ours...pardon the language.

He has supposedly sold the state's airplanes. Where did that money go? Into his pocket? He has his own private jet, but how is the next governor supposed to get around - call Southwest airlines to see if they have a flight going wherever he needs to go? Or is Scott planning on becoming Governor for life? I strongly suspect that his plan to require drug testing for all state employees, except himself, his staff, the legislature & their staffs, is just a ploy to funnel state money into his company, Solantic. It may be in his wife's name right now, but as soon as he's no longer governor, it will be in his name again. I truly wish that Alex Sink had demanded a recount. Since the difference in the votes was less than 1%, she was entitled to it. I wonder if he bought her off or had someone threaten someone in her family? I wouldn't put either thing past him. He needs to be recalled ASAP before he does more damage to our state than several cat. 5 hurricanes in a row.